October 2, 2025, 8:30 AM...

2nd day of the renaissance fair...

As per usual, the trio and the rest of the officers are patrolling around, supervising the fair.

To ensure the fair goes smoothly without problems.

The people seem to be enjoying themselves.

Kids with their parents and some cosplaying.

Laughter and many joyous expressions can be seen in their faces.

The event will merely start the wheels of fate.

11:31 AM...

Laos seems to be bored of keeping watch for any suspicious activities.

So far, nothing out of the ordinary.

But a cloaked individual seems to have caught Laos's eyes.

At first Laos thought it was just a person in cosplay trying to fit the theme of the fair.

However, Laos decided to check for any possibilities of the cloaked individual being a cultist.

Beep!

"This is Laos reporting. There is a cloaked person covering his entire body. I have a suspicion that they might be hiding something dangerous underneath."

"I'm approaching the suspect to identify their identity."

Beep!

Ira is warning Laos.

"Approach with caution."

"Understood."

Laos puts the walkie-talkie back on his waist.

Slowly approaching the cloaked individual.

Weaving through the crowded fair.

Laos finds it hard to weave through the crowd without bumping or stepping on a civilian's foot.

Some try to talk to Laos as he passes through, but Laos just ignores them.

While the cloaked person moves around the crowd with ease.

The cloaked individual hasn't noticed Laos's slow approach yet.

Finally, Laos's hands are now within reach of grabbing the cloaked person's shoulder.

As he touches it, they get startled a little.

Turning around, he looks Laos in the eyes.

"Ma'am or Sir, please pull down the hood of your cloak. I just need to identify you for a bit."

Pushing Laos away, they make a run, knocking down people on the way.

Laos immediately gives chase and alerts his peers of the situation.

Beep!

"This is Laos in the entertainment section. I'm currently giving chase to a cloaked individual; be on the lookout."

Beep!

Ira takes command.

"Alice, you're near Laos. Try to intercept."

Beep!

"Understood!"

Ira also alerts the other officers about the situation and tries to assist Laos.

Laos's intense chase seems to go on for a while.

Now both Laos and the cloaked person are outside the perimeters of the fair.

Alice and other officers are right behind Laos.

Just as when it seems like a dead end, they make a swift turn.

Laos does too, but Laos stops in his tracks.

"Tch!"

Right in front of him seems to be a giant entrance to the sewer systems.

Leading specifically under the fair.

Alice and the others catch up to Laos.

"Hey, why'd you stop?" Alice asks Laos.

"He went in the sewers," Laos said in a serious tone.

"I don't know the routes of the sewers, so there's a possibility we might be ambushed."

Laos announces to every officer that is near.

"Close off the surrounding areas here and make sure not to let anyone in!"

Laos reports back on the current situation to Ira.

While taking initiative on the current situation, he ordered Alice and a couple of others that came with her to go back to their post.

The rest of the day seems to be just like yesterday's patrol of the fair.

As the fair closes for its 2nd day.

Laos calls an emergency meeting with the Roseton branch.

7:24 PM...

Roseton Branch building, floor 2, meeting room.

All members of the Demon Extermination division of the Roseton branch have gathered, along with the trio and the other members from the main branch.

Laos takes initiative of the meeting.

"Ira, did you get what I asked?"

Ira turns on the TV, and what it shows are the blueprints of the sewers.

"They just gave me a digital copy of it." Ira replied.

"It's much better than nothing." Laos said.

"Now let us start making a plan to capture those cultists."

The meeting went on for 2 hours before it ended.

The very next day, many members from Roseton and a little bit from the main branch remain on standby for their orders.

11:27 AM...

All of them wait at the entrance of the sewer, where the cloaked person went into.

Someone who looks to be a commander of some sort stands at the front of all these officers.

"I am Marshal Ashford, the one leading today's operation of ambushing these cultists who have been terrorizing the peace of this country."

"I remind you all to take this seriously and do not joke around! We are to stick to the plan and execute it without problems."

"UNDERSTOOD, PEOPLE?!"

Motivating all the people here, they all shout in unison.

"YES, SIR."

Marshal turns his back on the officers.

Now facing the entrance of the sewer, he announces...

"Operation: Capture the Cultists is a go!"

"Start moving, people!"

All the officers start making their way inside the sewers.

As they make their way inside the sewers.

The putrid smell of wastewater seems to bother them, but nevertheless they keep going.

Searching through every crevice of the sewer.

Around a total of 15 officers, including the trio, are inside the sewer system.

Each in a group consisting of 3 people.

Their search goes on for a few minutes before they hear voices of people chanting.

Alerting the other groups, gathering up once again, they make sure to approach a door that seems to lead somewhere; the voices of people chanting could be heard.

Marshal makes signals using his fingers.

Approaching the wooden door slowly, they all pull out their firearms.

BAM!

Kicking the door down, all officers hurry on inside.

At the same time, the cultists got startled by the door getting kicked down.

However, they continue their chant.

"YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST! EITHER SURRENDER PEACEFULLY OR RESIST!"

The cultists seem to keep going despite the clear warning given by Marshal.

"All officers, immobilize them! Don't let them continue!"

All the cultists get tackled to the ground.

Still they continue their chant.

"Gag them!"

Before their mouths get gagged, they muster out one last chant they've been repeating over and over.

"Please grant our wishes, oh Great Demon ቿዒሁጎፕልነ."

All the candles within the room go out all at once.

A grayish light shines in the middle, illuminating the room, and in the center, the dead body starts floating up.

The surrounding air becomes heavy, and like a black hole, it sucks in everything towards the center of the circle.

Ira loudly says, "GRAB ONTO SOMETHING."

Ira stabs his sword into the ground, and Laos grabs the knife from his waist and stabs it into the crevices of the stone ground.

Alice's compacted bow staff springs into life, and she does the same as Ira and Laos, stabbing it into the ground.

In the center of the room a gust of wind gathers, forming a tornado.

Some didn't manage to hold onto something in time.

The tornado rips their bodies apart and turns the gust of wind gathering in the center blood-red.

Something seems to be in the center of it.

What was it?

This goes on for a few seconds before...

Ira's eyes widen.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

It explodes....

BOOM!

In the center of the fair.

The beautifully designed floor symbolizing a knight bulged upwards.

Opened by the extreme gust of wind.

CRACK!

SPLRAK!!!

Debris of concrete spreads and hits a couple of civilians.

In the midst of the smoke under the fair, something seems to be crawling out.

Smoke covers its appearance, but the silhouette can be seen.

A tall humanoid figure spanning around 6 ft, with what seems to be a sword on its waist.

[Hmm...the passage of time seems to have been quite a few centuries since last advent.]

An imposing voice, commanding and deep.

Taking a step, each makes a metallic sound.

Clank!

Clatter!

Walking out of the smoke, its appearance can now be seen.

People around seem to have gathered to see what the commotion was about.

"Is this some sort of play?"

"A special event?"

They murmur among each other, talking about the sudden explosion and appearance of someone from under.

[Quite a large audience since my return. Mayhaps I must have made a considerable impression? ]

Clad in metallic armor, head, shoulders, arms, and legs.

Within its head there's no face that can be seen, yet it imposes an intimidating aura just from a look.

The cape from around the waist flows with the wind.

A soft mantle on the neck.

Drawing his sword from his waist, he stabs it into the ground.

Cling!

Crack!

His left hand was holding onto his waist while holding the bottom of the handle on the sword.

[Whom's brave soul wishes to duel this knight from thine assembled audience? ]

Chapter 8 End...